What Is Ice Hockey – Ice Hockey Rules

Ice Hockey: It is played between two teams of six players with skates on a tennis ice . It is characterized by its great strength , speed and aggressiveness. This sport is mainly played in cold countries, they can have natural ice rinks, although some countries have created artificial tracks for this sport.

Sport

Ice Hockey is within the top four sports Americans and is represented by the National Ice Hockey League (NHL). The men ‘s hockey became an Olympic sport in 1920 , in games of Antwerp , but in 1924 became part of the Winter Olympics in Chamonix . The women ‘s race was incorporated in 1998 in the pagan games.

Players must lead a disc Rubber black ( puck in English ), with a long stick ( stick in English ), to try to score in the opponent’s goal. In the end, the team that scored the most goals is the winner.

The Ice Hockey team consists of 6 players: an archer, a center, 2 defenders and 2 forwards.

Goalkeeper: Goalkeeper (goalie) , is the player who is responsible for defending the goal. The goalkeeper must have reflexes , flexibility , speed and enough strength and agility to be able to move any part of the body with more strict than the field player protection body. He is the only one able to touch the puck with his hands.

Centro (center) , occupies the center of the track, and is one of the most moving in the match. They are attackers and the main goalscorers of the team, also collaborate in defensive plays when the rival attacks.

Defense (defense) : the purpose of defense is to defend the opposing team attackers, usually located in the backcourt your computer. This can attack, but its main function is to prevent the rivals approaching their area and endanger their own goal.

Ends (Wingers) : attacking players are located on the sides of the track. These must be fast, fight for control of the puck, and are responsible for making attack plays for other players, when these are free of marking. On the track there is one on the left and one on the right.

Skills Needed For Hockey

Ice Hockey players must have a great ability to play a game, in which you can mention:

Skating: the skating is considered as the principal, as players move around the track at high speeds and perform many changes of pace .

Stick handling: the players, except the goalkeeper, can only use the stick to move the puck. The player usually moves by pushing it with both sides of the protruding part of the stick very quickly to generate confusion in the rival.

Pass: the pass is used to send the puck between players of the same team using the stick. Peace can be done through flat or aerial passes.

Shot: the shot to throw the puck with the stick at high speed, with the intention of scoring a goal. It can be done without raising the stick to make a shot with more precision (wrist shot), or raising the stick to launch with more propulsion and strength (slap shot).

Checkin: is the ability of a player to snatch the puck in reverse. It can be done with the stick (stick checking), which would be to take control of the disk, deflect the puck or block its firing. They can also be made with a charge carried out with the body (body checking), which is the most famous form in this sport . Physical contact is allowed, but only using the upper body and directly without using arms .

Ice Hockey Equipment

Ice Hockey players on ice must wear a specially designed for security, because it is a team sport contact, players moving at high speed and injuries can occur at any time, for safety usually dress to others in their dress Basic, shirt , pants and skates a number of accessories such as:

Helmet : The helmet (helmet) is mandatory for all players and is used for head protection. It has an appropriate fit to not hinder the player’s vision (just above the eyebrows). Inside, it is made of a material called nitrate vinyl that protects against possible shocks.

Mask: The mask (goalie mask) is used by archers as an additional element to the hull. It increases safety as they are the most exposed players to injuries.

Shin Guards: Shin Guards are lightweight and have adjustable and removable straps. They protect against the blows in the lower part of the leg.

Elbow pads: The elbow pads protect the elbows from possible falls on the ice.

Knee pads: The kneepads protect the knees.

Gloves: Gloves are used to protect players’ hands against discs, sticks and skates. Unlike skaters, archers wear different gloves in each hand.

Guard Neck : The neck protector (neck guard) is a part of the protective equipment that surrounds the neck area and is essential especially in the archer who is more prone to damage in that area.

Skates: The skates used for the practice that what is icing in hockey are lower in the front of the boot and higher in the back. This is to avoid tendon injuries. The blade is approximately the same length as the boot and rounded at both ends.

Stick: The stick is used to control the disc. It is a curved cane at the lower end, the curvature influencing the player’s throwing speed. Size in terms of length may vary according to the need of the skater.

Ice Hockey Match Duration

Ice Hockey

The Ice Hockey game consists of three periods of 20 minutes each, and separated by two intervals of 15 minutes. It only counts as time of play when the puck is moving, and the clock is stopped every time the disc is stopped. This can happen when the referee signals a foul, scores a goal or the puck leaves the field. There is a judge who is in charge of taking the game timekeeper. The team is entitled to a dead time of 30 seconds per period.

If there is a tie in these three times, a five minute overtime is played to sudden death, in which the first team to score a goal wins. If after this period the tie persists, the game ends with that result. In the case of qualifiers, other alternatives are contemplated to tie up as more extensions or a round of throwing free throws.

A Ice Hockey rink

The field is an ice rink, known as rink. Ice reduces the maximum friction disc on the track and allows skaters reach high speeds , so this sport is considered one of the fastest in the world .

The court has a rectangular shape, measuring 61 meters long by 30 meters wide. The distance from the end of the track to the nearest goal line is 4 meters. Entire track has rounded corners instead of forming angles of 90 degrees, to prevent the puck can be stopped. An opaque wall surrounds the entire field and prevents the puck from coming out of it. Above that wall is another transparent, which measures one meter in height and allows viewers a broad view of the game, while protecting them. Players can use the walls during their game.

At the center of the track is a red line (center line), which divides the field in half and serves to mark certain infractions as icing. There are two other red lines, known as goal net lines that are located at each end of the rectangle, four meters from the end of the track. Players can pass, through that area, behind the goal with the puck. Two blue lines, separated 8.85 meters from the red line (8.5 in the NHL) delimit the three zones of the field: defense zone, neutral zone and zone of attack.

The goal cage is in front of each goal line. This goal has a strong network, fastened with three nails of metal , measuring 1.2 meters high by 1.8 wide. Most lodges have a siren and a sound box, which emit light and sound for a few seconds when a player scores a goal. Both are activated by an umpire known as a goal judge. In front of the goal , there is an area of color , blue, measuring 2.1 meters wide by 1.8 long (2.1 x 2 in the NHL) and is known as the enclave (goal crease), and can only Be occupied by the doorman. A player can not remain within the goal crease of the rival team.

Two players play the puck in a face off

There are nine faceoff points, where the main referee puts the puck into play during a game when it has stopped. All faceoff areas are red except for the center point, which is blue.

Behind the protective wall are booking a dugout where substitutes are located and coach . There is also a penalty bench where players who have committed a violation must be for a certain time.

The track must be kept at a temperature below -10 ° C, before beginning to parties and during the time off, special, known as Zamboni vehicles, which are responsible for smoothing the ice surface are removed.

Failures

The main infractions that are mentioned in the game are:

Offside: is committed when the player, from behind the central red line or from the neutral zone, passes directly to another player who is located right in the zone of attack. It can also occur when the player in the attack zone takes the puck to the neutral zone and returns with it to attack. It is penalized with a faceoff from the neutral zone.

Icing: When a player throws the puck behind the center line. If you score goal, it is valid. If he fails, which is when the puck crosses the red goal line of goalkeeper, the opponent must gain possession of the puck to pit this infraction. It is penalized with a faceoff in the area of ​​defense of the offending team.

Penalties

They are the most serious fouls that can be committed in the game that requires a penalty by the main referee, known as a penalty. Punishment is to deprive the player who committed the failure to continue playing temporarily, which is known as expulsion. The time may vary depending on the infraction; From two minutes for a foul, until the final expulsion and suspension of matches in case of a serious infraction. To prevent a foul from paralyzing a decisive attack, the referee grants the advantage law if the attacker maintains the puck, to score the foul when he scores a goal, the opponent regains possession, or the clock stops.

The penalized players must sit on the bench, where they must remain until they reach the time penalty provisions. In case of being expelled indefinitely, the player goes to the changing rooms.

In case there are more than two expelled, an alternate will fulfill his function. When a team has more players than the rival, it is in a situation of advantage (powerplay), and if the team in advantage scores in that situation, the players expelled from the rival can return to the field although they have not fulfilled its penalization. On the other hand, the disadvantaged team can do icing until the expelled players return.

Minor penalty

These are the most common faults, also known as minor penalti, usually two minutes of expulsion for whoever committed it. They strive to hit the opponent with the cross-checking stick, by lifting the stick to hit the opponent in the upper body (sticking) or hit him in the slashing area, by grabbing To the opponent or his stick (holding), to grab the opponent with the stick to stop it (hooking), to interfere with a player or the goalkeeper (interference), to hit a player without reason or justification (roughing), to hit him with Elbowing, tripping, simulating a diving or deliberately delaying the game. The team is left in numerical inferiority.

Serious penalty

Known as a major penalty, it involves an expulsion of five minutes. They may be for blocking or placing the opposing player if he does not have or has had the puck (charging), hitting the opponent with the butt-ending stick, striking him with the flat part of the stick (spearing) and striking A rival against the protective barrier without justification of possession of the puck (boarding). Fighting is also a serious penalty for the players involved. The team is left in numerical inferiority.

Misconduct

This is to insult or disrespect a member of the arbitration group. They also pound in a fight. This implies a sanction of ten minutes, and if it is recidivist in the same party the player gains the definitive expulsion. In both cases, an alternate player can take his place, so the team has the same number of players on the track.

Game misconduct

It is when the player intentionally hits another, to injure the opponent. It implies an immediate expulsion, and the team can remain in numerical inferiority for 5 or 10 minutes, depending on the severity of the injuries suffered by the affected one.

Free kick / penalty shot

It is poked when an attacking player is only to shoot at goal, and the opponent commits a foul from behind to stop it. The attacker, who must be the player on which they committed a foul, has the opportunity to face in a one-on-one against the goalkeeper, separated at a short distance, from the center of the field to the goal. Only they can be the one that throws the penalty and the goalkeeper rival, similar to the soccer penalty. It does not carry numerical inferiority for the equipment that committed it.

Referee

The referee is in charge of ensuring that the regulations in the field are met, wear a striped uniform in black and white. Like the players, they also use skates, also have whistles with which they can stop the game. Through gestures with the arms, indicate the faults and infractions. Among the referees who are in the field are:

Main Referee: is in charge of leading the match. It is identified by wearing some orange bands on both arms. It is the only one capable of being able to cancel goals and penalize the players, in case they have committed an infraction. These have the right to review the equipment of the players to ensure compliance with what is established.

Assistant (linesmen) are usually located on one side of center court, and are responsible for monitoring violations occurring between the red center line and the blue lines, like offside or icing . Its function is similar to that of the linesmen in football . They do not have authority to signal fouls, but they can advise the central referee to do so if they deem it appropriate.

Judges

Goal judge: He is out of the field and is in charge of ensuring that a goal has been scored or not, the goal judge is behind the goal and must watch over whether the puck has completely crossed the line goal. Once checked, the referee activates the sirens and sound box to indicate the achievement of both.

Video goal judge: After this, they are in charge of reviewing the repetitions of those goals that are questioned through a television, and can only be requested by the referee.

Penalty Judge: It is responsible for recording the goals and assists that occur in each match, to record all penalties imposed by the referee and to control their duration.